Astrid Oesmann 
 
zwischen Menschen unter die Botmäßigkeit der Lüge zwingt."10
The 
characters cannot accurately perceive their relationships to others, 
nor can they evaluate the situations in which they find themselves in 
order to determine how to behave reasonably toward others. 
Attempting to comprehend what happens by relying solely on 
themselves, characters become vigilant spies. This regression causes 
disorientation as the scene "Der Spitzel" shows. A husband and
wife 
argue about rejecting a formerly befriended family, and the incident 
releases a chain of arguments fueled by fear and accusations 
ranging from "Es ist unangenehm, daß wir uns gerade jetzt von
ihnen 
zurückziehen, wo sich alles von ihnen zurückzieht" (4: 392)
to a quarrel 
about their own son, "Einen Judas hast du mir geboren! Der sitzt bei

Tisch und horcht. ... und merkt sich alles, was seine Erzeuger sagen, 
der Spitzel!" (4: 399). The realistic fear of being spied upon combines

with a general feeling of exclusion to fuel paranoia. This dynamic 
results from the family's regression into seclusion while further 
encouraging that very regression.  Constant, secret observation 
renders social life private and destroys the public sphere. 
The only scene that presents a way out of this dynamic is entitled